Goal Setting And Achieving: It’s Not About The Goal, It’s About THIS

Christi Hegstad November 12th, 2018

Coaching Tip:

It’s probably no secret that I really enjoy goals. When set properly and purposefully, they can energize, inspire, provide an incredible sense of focus, and make a difference in the lives of many.

And like I often tell my coaching clients, some who also love goals and some who, prior to our work together, were not what you might call ‘goal enthusiasts’:

It’s not about the goal.

It’s about who you become in the process.

When you set a Bold Goal, you become more bold.

When you set a goal that scares you a bit, you become more courageous.

And when you set a purposeful goal, you engage, live, and work with greater purpose.

Inspired Action:

This week, as you look at your goal(s), ask yourself one question:

Why did I set this goal?

Reconnect with why it’s important to you. Revisit how achieving the goal will feel. Refresh your memory about how you don’t want this year to be a repeat of the last – you want to be able to say something about yourself on Dec 31 that you previously couldn’t.

Remember your why. It’s likely your biggest motivator!

Join our email community here and receive a free mini-training, 5 Tips For Purposeful Goal-Setting, later this week! And don’t forget enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club closes soon – learn more and join today!

Dr. Christi’s 3 Favorite Books of 2018

Christi Hegstad November 8th, 2018

If you’re a book nerd like me, you’ve probably anxiously awaited this annual list! 🙂 Even if you’re not, I trust you will find something useful for yourself, your employees, or others in your circle.

I know we have several weeks remaining in 2018, which means I may still read something equally amazing (Brene Brown’s Dare To Lead is just sitting on my desk, begging for my attention…). But I am sharing this list now because my December newsletter will provide you with a tool to help you gear up for a positive, purposeful 2019. If any more books rise to the top between now and December 31, I promise to update you on Instagram!

My newsletter subscribers received info about my top 7 books of the year, and this post shares 3 of them (sign up here so you always get the bonus info, too!). As always, these are books I’ve read in 2018 – not necessarily that were published this year. Also, this makes up my nonfiction list; I will share my favorite fiction books of the year on Instagram soon, too.

OK, let’s dive in!

1. Grit by Angela Duckworth

If you think your success depends on talent, IQ, or circumstances, you mustread this book. A phenomenal, evidence-based look at the power of grit – a combination of passion and perseverance – and how we can leverage, enhance, and develop more grit where it matters most. Duckworth provides numerous stories and examples of grit in business, leadership, parenting, passion projects, and so much more. One of my colleagues rereads this book every year and I can see why – it is paradigm-shifting!

2. The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte

While I’ve read other LaPorte books, none has impacted me nearly as much as this one. A unique, refreshing, sometimes counterintuitive way to approach goals, she shines the light on aspects we may never have considered – especially if our experience has been along the traditional, SMART-goal type of path. A great resource for those looking for a fluid, intuitive way toward a fulfilling work and life experience.

3. Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver

I have read countless books on simplifying, decluttering, minimalizing, and the like, so when I picked up this book earlier this year I was not expecting anything new or awe-inspiring. Let me just say Carver completely surprised me. She dives into simplicity in such approachable, meaningful ways with lessons that can be applied at work, in our families, in our personal lives, and beyond. So heartwarming, purposeful, and practical!

Simplicity Legacy Carver Quote Book Coffee

We plan to discuss topics from these books and more in the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club! Enrollment will close before my next monthly newsletter comes out, so if you are interested be sure to enroll ASAP!

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Which of these books will you check out? Let me know if you do – it makes my literacy-advocate heart happy to hear! Share your thoughts – as well as additional book recommendations – on the blog, Instagram, or Facebook! Obsessive readers will thank you for adding to our must-read lists. 🙂

Join the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club before enrollment closes! Details here. Newsletter subscribers learned about my top 7 books of the year – if you want to make sure you don’t miss out on similar bonus info, subscribe here.

To add another 40 or so books to your must-read list, check out my favorites from past years, too:

25 Intentional Minutes of Focus

Christi Hegstad November 5th, 2018

Coaching Tip:

Have you ever set a timer for 25 minutes, shut down all distractions (phone, email, social media notifications, etc), and focused on one singular project?

If yes, have you been amazed at what you accomplished in that short period of focused time?

We may not have the luxury of doing this all day, every day. However, we tend to have a greater opportunity for focus than we think.

Inspired Action:

This week, experiment with intentional periods of focus.

Close your door or head to a private conference room with only one project in front of you. Decide what you intend to accomplish during this time (ie, complete the project, or reach a certain milestone).

Set a timer for 25 minutes, take a deep breath, and go.

In our distracted age, this may require some practice – so don’t worry if your mind wanders during this time. The more you engage in this, the more you will train your mind for focus!

Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club is now open – and already filling up! As long as you have a computer or phone, you can participate from anywhere. Find out more here.

Peak Performance: Consistently Great, or Great At Being Consistent?

Christi Hegstad October 29th, 2018

Coaching Tip:

If you could see my rough drafts sometimes, you would surely wonder how I’ve ever gotten my work published in some of the places I have.

My writing is not the greatest every day.

But every day, I write.

And some of those days, I edit. I polish. And then I submit the edited, polished piece to a magazine or publisher.

It’s not about perfection every day. It’s about showing up every day.

Inspired Action:

This week, take a daily consistent action.

Decide what’s worth showing up for. What is your top goal? What can you do every day to move that goal forward?

Then, do it. Don’t be writer and editor all at the same time. Allow yourself to be imperfect yet consistent, then bring out the polishing cloth when it’s time.

I believe most of success in any form is simply showing up and consistently doing the work! Give that a try this week.

Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club opens on Thursday! Join our email community for the early announcement and a special subscriber-only savings.

5 Books For Goal Achievers (And Those Who Want To Be!)

Christi Hegstad October 23rd, 2018

Whether you find goals motivating and focusing or restricting and pressure-filled, they likely play a role in your life in some form. Personally, I have been a fan since childhood and often wonder how (if?) I would get anything done without setting goals!

For example, I can tell myself I want to run every day – but until I sign myself up for a race or identify the number of miles I want to run in a month, that ‘idea’ keeps me company while I do pretty much anything but run. With the power of goals, however, I have run two half-marathons, a marathon, and several other shorter races – things I certainly don’t believe I would have done without first creating goals.

Goals, of course, play a significant role in my coaching work as well. Here are some of the goal-related books I often return to and/or recommend to clients that you may find helpful, too:

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

This quick read offers great examples of how small steps, performed consistently over time, lead to big results. Instead of relying on willpower, which research shows us is in limited supply, Hardy makes the case for setting goals and realizing that the tiny, conscious decisions we make in favor of them each day can eventually, like minor adjustments to a plane in flight, change the trajectory of our lives. Very practical with numerous examples in business, relationships, finances, and health.

Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D.

When it comes to goals, I consider Dr. Halvorson among the masters. This book is supported by sound research and written in a very applicable and entertaining way. Although I have researched goals extensively throughout my education and career, Halvorson’s book is one of the few (and, in my opinion, the best I’ve found so far) to include helpful insights on when to view obstacles as tests of persistence vs. signals that it may be time to let go of that goal. With a forward written by Dr. Carol Dweck (author of Mindset and another mentor-from-afar of mine), you know it’s going to be a worthwhile read!

Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser, Ph.D.

I love the simplicity of focus with this book: If you write down your goals, you’re more likely to achieve them. You may wonder how an entire book stems from that premise, but Dr. Klauser elaborates beautifully with how to generate goal ideas, ways to write them so they inspire and affirm rather than prompt dread or guilt, ways to stay committed, and the importance of engaging your whole being into goal creation rather than just setting slight increases from last year or, even less motivating, going by ‘shoulds.’ Useful, practical, and motivating.

Goals! by Brian Tracy

Tracy, a prolific author with over 70 titles to his name, is known for offering simple, pragmatic, and useful tips. From identifying and removing roadblocks to surrounding yourself with the right people to reviewing and visualizing your goals frequently, he shares suggestions that you can implement immediately. I also appreciate his emphasis on linking goals to the bigger picture: “Goals give you that sense of meaning and purpose, a clear sense of direction,” Tracy writes. “Goals enable you to instill meaning and purpose into everything you do.”

The Power of Less by Leo Babauta

Though mostly a book about minimalism, when I read this for the first time nearly ten years ago, I really resonated with the chapters on simplifying goals, tasks, routines, and time. Babauta’s own story is quite compelling: He has used his methodology to quit smoking, start running and complete triathlons, eliminate debt, lose 40+ pounds, quit his job and work from home, and simplify life with his family (he’s a married father of six). From what I have seen of his more recent writing, his practices have changed quite a bit over the years, but I still flip through this gem for a quick motivational boost.

Another goal-setting book appeared on my radar a few months ago and will be included in the newsletter I mentioned above; in addition, it is one of our 2019 ASPIRE Success Club picks (which will be revealed next week)!

Have you read any of these? What is one of your favorite goal-related books? Share below or on Instagram or Facebook!

Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club opens soon! Join our email community for the early announcement and a special subscriber-only savings!

The One Word That Stalls Our Big Dreams and Bold Goals

Christi Hegstad October 22nd, 2018

Coaching Tip:

This time of year, my Big Dreams, Bold Goals! training session is in high demand. I’ve facilitated incredibly talented groups – from physical therapists to bankers to nonprofit directors and more – in expanding their sense of possibility while learning the strategies and tools to make those ideas become reality.

One of the biggest challenges with dreams, I have found, is our tendency to talk ourselves out of them before we’ve even given them a chance.

Our faces light up as we imagine promotions or philanthropic ideas or travel possibilities … and then become heavy as we immediately ask, “But how would I ever make that happen?”

Inspired Action:

This week, allow yourself to dream – without wondering about the ‘how’.

What would you love to do, see, experience, create, or try if you had no barriers? If you didn’t have to worry about time or money or responsibilities?

Play with the ‘what’ this week, giving no thought to the ‘how.’ See what arises for you and maybe even takes you by surprise.

For this week, live with a sense of possibility. We can figure out the ‘how’ later.

We are currently taking inspired action to achieve meaningful, Bold Goals in the ASPIRE Success Club. Wish you could join us? Your opportunity starts next week – subscribe here to be among the first to hear!

Being A Positivity Role Model

Christi Hegstad October 18th, 2018

A few important truths:

You can simultaneously be a positive person *and* experience outrage, anger, sadness, or grief. That’s not antithetical; it’s being human.

You can disagree with people *without* disrespecting them.

We have so many examples of goodness in the world – many of them our youth who are stepping forward and leading the way.

In my latest Business Record article, ‘Something Must Be Done’ vs Doing Something, I wrote about some things that have had me feeling every emotion in the book lately. I also share 3 practical steps – and a link to 35 more – that you can take when you feel like something must be done but you’re not sure what. I hope it inspires your positive action.

Together, we can create a kinder, stronger, more respectful world for all. Who’s in?

Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club opens soon! Join our email community for the early announcement and a special subscriber-only savings!

Joy, Contentment, and The Daily Top 3

Christi Hegstad October 15th, 2018

Coaching Tip:

Do you practice the Daily Top 3?

If you have coached with me, you are probably quite familiar with the concept. Whenever people ask me how I navigate running a business, raising a family, volunteering, coaching, exercising, and the myriad other actions I am (and you likely are) involved in, the Daily Top 3 is one of the first and most practical strategies to spring to mind.

Inspired Action:

This week, practice the Daily Top 3.

Each evening before you head home from work, scan your obligations and to-do list. Choose 3 items to be your top-priority focal points for the next day – the 3 items that, even if the rest of the day goes completely haywire, will allow you to feel purposefully accomplished.

Separate those 3 items from the rest of your list, and review them (and ideally start on them!) first thing in the morning.

What if living and leading with joy and contentment could be as simple as this daily practice?

Enrollment to the 2019 ASPIRE Success Club opens soon! Join our email community for the early announcement and a special subscriber-only savings!

3 Mindset Hacks for Positive, Purposeful Growth

Christi Hegstad October 11th, 2018

Years ago, I read a wonderful book by Dr. Joan Borysenko called Inner Peace for Busy People. It became one of our first ASPIRE Success Club book picks, and I still take it off my shelf to review from time to time. I highlighted a great deal in the book but reference one section in particular rather frequently:

“One person chooses to be upset until the day she dies because her working mother rarely made dinner for the family. Another attributes her love of cooking to the exact same circumstances.”

What do you notice?

Same circumstances, completely different experiences. All due to mindset.

Maybe you thrive on change, maybe you consider yourself a creature of habit. Either way, a deliberate focus on your mindset can change everything.

At its core, your mindset is your framework of thoughts and beliefs that impact how you experience the world. Your mindset essentially determines your actions, behaviors, and outcomes. It affects how you make sense of the world, as well as how you interpret experiences.

The more I have studied mindset, particularly for my Positive Psychology Coaching certification, the more I am reminded how it underscores our entire life experience. The best part? You don’t necessarily need extensive training to shift your mindset to one that serves you and those around you better. Below, three evidence-based practices to help you begin that shift.

1. Reframing.

The above example from Borysenko is a great example of this. You may not control everything that happens to you, but you do get to decide how you handle it. You are the author of your story. You choose how you will experience this world, regardless of circumstances. No one can make you feel a certain way; you are in charge of your mindset.

Inspired Action: Think back to a situation that felt negative at the time but, with hindsight, seemed to turn out in your favor. For example, a coaching client recently shared how devastated she felt after being laid off ten years ago, but now knows she never would have started her soulful business without that ‘prompt.’ Explore what you learned, how you benefited, or what you gained. Repeat this process until you’re able to begin doing it in real-time.

2. Focus On Influence.

Essentially, this involves looking at any less-than-desirable situation through two lenses: What concerns you, and what you can influence to change. When I teach this principle to coaching clients, I essentially describe it as flipping from “Why” (Why does this always happen? Why me? Why now?) to “How” (How can I improve this? How can I bring positivity into this situation? How can I change, learn from, or impact what’s happening?). Simple and empowering.

Inspired Action: Take an area where you have been feeling stuck and write out the things that frustrate / bother / frighten you about that situation. Get those thoughts and feelings out of your head and onto paper. Then, make a big list of responses to the question, “How might I improve this situation and/or my mindset toward it?” Generate at least 20 responses and go from there. (If you would like a one-time coaching session on this using my Power Circles tool, let me know.)

3. Gratitude.

Gratitude has become kind of a buzzword lately. (I can think of worse things!) The reason: Gratitude works. Study upon study confirms that identifying what you are thankful for has physical, mental, and emotional benefits; Dr. Robert Emmons, one of my instructors for the aforementioned Positive Psychology certification, is one of the leading researchers in this field if you seek more evidence.

Inspired Action: You’ve probably heard it before, but now I want you to put it into action: Start a gratitude journal. Each day, write three things for which you are grateful – and I suggest a ‘no repeats’ rule. Do this for a month and see what shifts you notice.

What practices help you shift your mindset to one of more purpose and positivity? Share your ideas below or on Instagram!

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35 Ways To DO SOMETHING When The World Feels Chaotic

Christi Hegstad September 27th, 2018

Raise your hand if you don’t even want to open a newspaper or check your social media feeds anymore, with all of the chaos of the moment.

Do you find yourself increasingly angry? Frustrated? Heartbroken? Drained? Believe me, you are not alone.

I have a few core beliefs that regularly guide me through the turmoil. For example, that there is more good than bad in the world – although the bad often seems to get more attention. And while at times the problems may seem bigger than us, we – every single one of us – can take action to make the world a better place.

Sometimes that’s hard to remember. And sometimes it’s hard to know what “little ol’ me” can do. So I’ve created this list of 35 starting points to open up the conversation. I encourage you to employ the ones that speak to you, and to add to this list as well.

1. Feel. Whatever you’re experiencing – anger, hurt, optimism, fear, gratitude, and beyond – feel your feelings. Blocking or ignoring them will not help you or anyone else in the long run.

2. Connect. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own, and there is power in numbers.

3. Focus. Commit to solutions over blaming or complaining. Solutions move us forward; the rest keeps us stuck.

4. Shine the light. Find the people doing good and spread their messages. (Looking at you too, news industry.)

5. Research. Just because it’s on the internet does not make it true. Seek facts before you believe – and before you share.

6. Speak up. Like we’re reminded at airports, if you see something, say something. To the persons involved and/or to professionals who can help.

7. Ask. Focus on growth- and change-oriented questions: How can I help? What’s an action I can take? To whom can I reach out?

8. Share resources. Let people know of organizations, helpers, and nonprofits to which they can connect for support.

9. Vote. Educate yourself on candidates and punch your ballot for those you believe will represent you and your values.

10. Donate. Choose the cause that speaks to you the most, and give what you can.

11. Practice disciplined inquiry. For example, if an article makes a claim, don’t accept it at face value: Who funded the study? Was an adequate sample represented? Did it include mixed genders, ages, demographics? Dig deeper.

12. Extend a kindness. It’s amazing what a pre-paid grocery card to a family in need or a handwritten note to a kind service provider can do.

13. Eliminate excuses. “It was just a joke” or “That’s how it’s always been” are not the same as apologies, positive actions, or righting wrongs.

14. Listen. To children, to people paving a new way, to those with opinions that differ from yours. As Stephen Covey advised, “Seek first to understand.”

15. Seek help. Therapists, physicians, spiritual directors, healers, coaches, mentors, teachers…find the support you need. It’s out there.

16. Open the dialogue. If you raise or work with young people, talk about important topics like respect and long-term impacts of short-term decisions.

17. Pause. Before posting online, practice the THINK model: Is it True? Helpful? Inspiring? Necessary? Kind?

18. Show up. Town halls, marches, panel discussions, community events, fundraisers, or whatever matters to you.

19. Take care of yourself. You’ll be little help to others if you are completely depleted. Take physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual care.

20. Practice RAOKs. Random acts of kindness – as well as intentional ones – make a difference. Conduct one daily if possible.

21. Use your gifts. Where do your strengths and skills lie? Write, speak, teach, mentor, advocate, do your thing to make your difference.

22. Honor your values. Wherever your feel most hurt likely means a core value is being violated. Clarify, honor, and act in accordance with your values.

23. Learn from the wise. Look to present-day heroes as well as those from history – perhaps Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, or whomever speaks to you.

24. Be alert but not afraid. Be prepared, take precautions, listen to your intuition – yet don’t let fear run your life and drive all your decisions.

25. Engage your faith. This may include prayer, quiet meditation, community, stillness, attending a service, or whatever faith-based practices serve you.

26. Spread the good word. Give exposure to the difference-makers you admire. Leaders, authors, firefighters, business owners, helpers, healers…share their stories, invite people to their events, encourage their continued efforts by letting them know their work matters.

27. Talk. Share your ideas, speak your truth, use your voice. It doesn’t have to be loud to be effective.

28. Write. Create articles and posts that inspire useful action rather than fuel the fear. Write and call your legislators on issues as well.

29. Create. Whether paintings, sculptures, music, charts, conversations, home decor…every day you create things that didn’t exist before. Embrace your artistry. Create for positive change.

30. Choose your direction. Decide where you most want to place your energy, then run with it. Focus on contribution over chaos.

31. Accept your position. Face it: You are a leader. You have the ability to influence others. Use those superpowers for good!

32. Don’t give up. We need you.

33. Choose your sources wisely. Maybe it’s time to turn off the TV or cancel the subscription or reduce the noise or delete the app. Decide the sources you trust for unbiased facts and accurate reporting, and let the others go.

34. See the good. It’s out there. Look to the helpers, the healers, the protectors, the courageous. Gain inspiration from their ways of being.

35. Be the good. Lead by example. It sets a ripple effect in motion that you cannot even begin to fathom.

This is just a launching pad of ideas, friends. What would you add? Please share your wisdom in the comments below. Here’s to a better, braver, kinder, more purposeful world for us all.

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Category Archives: Uncategorized

Coaching Tip:

Inspired Action:

1. Grit by Angela Duckworth

2. The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte

3. Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver

Coaching Tip:

Inspired Action:

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D.

Write It Down, Make It Happen by Henriette Anne Klauser, Ph.D.

Goals! by Brian Tracy

The Power of Less by Leo Babauta